Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan or JUP is a traditional Barelvi political party, which is moderate in its thinking and is popular with traditional and folk Muslims in Pakistani villages in Sindh and Punjab. Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), the United Action Front, was an alliance initially headed by Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan. Its leaders are strongly opposed to the US-led anti-terrorism campaign in neighboring Afghanistan that ousted the Taliban from power. The group believed Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had become a tool of U.S. foreign policy. The MMA campaigned on promises to enforce Sharia law and in support of the withdrawal of US forces based in Pakistan in the campaign against international terrorism.

The Chief of Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), and JUP, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani in a Press conference after the meeting of the central leaders of the parties, said the American influence has increased to an alarming extent which is a threat to the sovereignty and financial independence of Pakistan. He called on the government to immediately withdraw its logistic support to America and retake its air bases as the American agenda of state terrorism on Afghanistan had concluded.

By 1992 the political forces that previously had a hold in Karachi's politics, the Jama'at-i-Islami and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan [JUP], did not seem to fit into the equation created by activities of MQM [Muhajir Quami Movement]. The JUP in particular had been virtually wiped out as a serious alternative, while the Jama'at, though its hard core of cadres is intact, is alsowaiting and seeing.
Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani was the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, whose party only gradually gained some ground after the decline of the MQM in Sindh. Noorani's anti-Americanism is offset by his less extreme Barelvi Islamic beliefs. Jamiat Ulema-e- Pakistan (JUP) opposed the government action in 2005 against Islamic schools and expulsion of foreign students. The Punjab president of JUP Mufti Muhammad Hidayat ullah Pasuri at a press conference in August 2005 accused the government of targeting innocent ulemas warning that this action would not prove good in the long run. He also said JUP is against terrorism.

Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqui Qadri was born in Meerut, India in the holy month of Ramadan in 1926 and became a hafiz-ul-quran (memorized the entire Holy Quran) at the tender age of eight. Eminent son and Successor of His Eminence, The Late Maulana Shah Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddiqui al-Qadiri Mubaligh-e-Azam RA who was one of the greatest Islamic scholars of the 20th century, Islamic Missionary of international repute and Head of Qadiriyya and Chistiyya Spiritual Orders. Direct descendent to First Khalif of Islam Hazrat Sayeddena Abu Bakr Siddiqui (RA). Graduated from the National Arabic College, Meerut,lndia. Obtained the FAZIL-E-ARABI degree from Allahabad University and DARSE-E-NIZAM (FAZIL) from Darul-Uloom Arabia, Meerut.

Accompanied His Late Father R.A on Islamic Missionary tours to various parts of the world in his early youth. Started his full-fledged international missionary tours around the world soon after the birth of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Previously held the post of Honorary Secretary General of the WORLD MUSLIM ULAMA ORGANIZATION for 12 years thus working for the cause of Islamic Unity. (whilst Mufti-e-Azam of Palestine was the President of this Organisation).

The Maulana came to Pakistan in 1950. Initially, he was with the Muslim League, but soon formed his own Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan. He was president of World Islamic Missions, which he founded in Darul Arkam in Mekkah and Honorary Secretary General of World Muslim Ulema Organization. He was first elected to National Assembly in 1970. Elected President of JAMIAT-E-ULEMA Pakistan (JUP) in 1972 in which he toured with a Government Delegation of Ulama (Islamic scholars) to visit Russia and China. Elected as a Member of Parliament from Karachi in 1970 and subsequently elected Leader of the Parliamentary Party of the JAMIAT ULAMA - PAKISTAN (JUP) unanimously. Elected as a Member of the Senate of Pakistan in 1973. Presided over the International Islamic Conference held at Bradford, U.K., in April 1974 and subsequently elected the First President of the WORLD ISLAMIC MISSION. Re-elected Member of Parliament in March 1977.
As a member of the Constitution Committee of the Parliament, His Eminence made more than 200 amendments and suggestions with a view to diverting the Constitution of 1972 towards democracy based on the principles of Islam. His constant struggles resulted in the acceptance of Islam as the State religion of Pakistan. He was the first scholar and member of parliament to demand that the Constitution of Pakistan included the definition of a Muslim and fought for the Finality of Prophethood to be included in this definition. His Eminence is an international figure of high repute having successfully brought his mission to various countries in Europe, Africa and South America including USA, Canada and the West Indies.

Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani was part of many democratic movements in the country, including the one launched by the Pakistan National Alliance against the PPP government of late Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He was at the forefront of a countrywide movement against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in 1977. Maulana Noorani played a leading role in the formation of the nine-party Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) in 1977 against the Z A Bhutto government. He also fought against the dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq from 1977 to 1988. General Ziaul Haq kept Maulnan Noorani under house arrest (as also some other PNA leaders including the late Nawbzada Narullah Khan and Asghar Khan) for a long time.

Secretary General Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Maulana Fazal-ur-Rahman said 11 December 2003 that the sudden death of MMA Chief and President Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), Senator Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani was a great loss for the whole nation. The Maulana - a chronic cardiac patient who had had two open-heart surgeries - breathed his last at the Federal Government Services Hospital.

Fazal Karim, the new head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, is also a member of the Pakistan's National Assembly. Sahibzada Haji Muhammad Fazal Karim [not to be confused with Deputy Speaker Fazal Karim Kundi], born on October 24, 1954, in Faisalabad, was elected Member of the National Assembly [MNA] from Faisalabad in 2002 for his first term as a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Group (PML N) candidate and was previously politically affiliated with JUP. A businessman by profession, he has completed an MA degree in Islamic Studies from Jamia Rizvia, Faisalabad, in 1987 and has served as Member of Provincial Assembly Punjab from 1993-1997 and Minister of Punjab Province from 1997-1999. Married with 4 sons and a daughter, he has travelled to USA, UK, Syria, Egypt, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Dubai among other countries. Some of his favorite hobbies include studying historical books and listening to naats and qawalis.

On 12 May 2009 eight parties of the Barelvi school of thought came together as the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) to fight the growing Talibanisation in the country.

Aalmi Tanzim Ahle Sunnat

Jamaat Ahle Sunnat

Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan

Karawan-e-Islam

Markazi Jamaat Ahle Sunnat

Markazi Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan

Nizam-e-Mustafa Party

Sunni Tehrik

The alliance demanded the Pakistan Army speed up its operation to eliminate the Taliban from the NWFP (North West Frontier Province) and FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) and "appealed to the nation to get united against the menace". Fazal Karim, head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, one faction of the anti-Taliban alliance, said: "Those who called themselves Taliban in Swat are terrorists and not humans. There is no room for suicide attacks in Islam." Fazal Karim said that the Taliban were the enemies of Islam and Pakistan.

The debate on military operation in Swat continued on 13 May 2009 for a second day in the National Assembly. Sahibzada Muhammad Fazal-e-Kareem / Sahibzada Muhammad Fazal-e-Karim of PML-N while participating in the debate said the military is strengthening and defending the country by conducting operation against the militants. The parliament should decide about those people who staged mutiny against the Constitution of the country," he said. Sahibzada Fazal Karim also quoted a Hadith (Tradition of the Holy Prophet, PBUH) that said that there would be a group, which would follow the agenda of Jews in the name of Islam. Sahibzada Fazal Karim said that none other than the former President Musharraf was responsible for Swat upheaval. He said that those parties which asked to stop the military operation, actually wanted to split the country.

While endorsing the military operation in Malakand Division, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Convention 18 May 2009 urged the government to keep on fighting against terrorists till their obliteration from the area and establishment of peace there. The convention, presided over by Quaid of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Shahbzada Fazl Karim, was held at Convention Centre. The ulema expressed solidarity with Pakistan Army and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the troubled zone. They also issued a Fatwa (edict) against the suicide attacks saying such attacks are forbidden in Islam and the ongoing military operation in Swat is a war for the survival of the country. They said people involved in murders and desecrations of the holy places have noting to do with Islam. The convention was attended by more than 2,000 Ulema including Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Mazhar Saeed Kazmi, Munawar Ali Jamati, Fiaz-ul-Hassan Qadri, Afzal Qadri, Hameed Jan Saifi, Dr Sarfraz Naeemi, Syed Abdul Qadir Jailani, Tariq Mehboob, Ameen-ul-Hasnat and other Mashaekh.

On 19 May 2009 top politicians questioned the poor performance of the intelligence agencies during the all parties conference (APC) for failing to pinpoint and take out the main leaders and targets of the Taliban in the troubled areas of Malakand and Swat. Nawaz Sharif, Sahibzada Fazal Karim, Munir Orakzai and Maulana Fazlur Rehman wondered what the agencies were doing in the current situation as they had failed to find out the main targets to eliminate them.